Suction cleaner



May 18, 1937; H, B WH TE 2,080,521

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 31, 1934 'INVENTOR BY w ATTO RNEY Patented May 18, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2.080.521 SUCTION cmarnazn.-

' Harry B. White, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 31, 1934. Serial No. 109,055 In Great Britain January 5, 1934 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to a new and improved floor-illuminating means in a suction cleaner construction. More specifically the invention comprises the provision of a suction cleaner in which floor-illuminating means are carried by the cleaner motor and are positioned within the confines thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved floor-illuminating means for suction cleaner. It is another object to provide a suction cleaner in which floor-illuminating means are carried by the cleaner motor and are encased and protected by a removable cover of the motor. Still another object is the provision of a suction cleaner in which floor-illuminating means are mounted rigidly upon the motor and are encased by a removable portion of the motor casing. A still further object is the provision, in a suction cleaner, of floor-illuminating means which are positioned so as to direct light forward of the cleaner nozzle, which are rigidly carried by the cleaner motor, and which are exposed by the removal of a portion of the motor casing. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a modern suction cleaner with floor-illuminating means constructed in accordance with the present invention embodied therein;

Figure 2 is a top view of the motor;

Figure 3 is a top view of the motor with removable top portion of the casing removed, and showing the illuminating means rigidly carried bytlie motor frame;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the motor and illuminating means removed from the main casing of the machine;

Figure 5 is a section upon the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows'upon the line 66 of Figure 3 and showing the motor cap partially removed.

The modern suction cleaner is a machinedesigned to perform a definite function and is limited in size in order that its range of usefulness will be as great as possible. The problem of including in this construction a lighting source which directs light forward of the cleaner nozzle to the surface covering undergoing cleaning, which will not increase the overall dimensions of the machine, and which will be protected from contact with articles of furniture, has not heretofore been satisfactorily solved. The mounting of the lighting means upon the usual surface of the cleaner results in an unattractive product and also one in which there is the inherent weakness that the lighting source is open to injury from contact with foreign articles. In the inclusion ofthe lighting means in the cleaner in the manner of the present invention, a novel variation in the structural features of the cleaner motor has been made and the space facilities formed thereby have been adapted to a lighting means, resulting in a superior product in which all of the indicated desirable features are present. The construction is one which can be economically manufactured in large quantities and which performs the intended function in a manner which is completely satisfactory.

Referring again to the drawing, and Figure 1 in particular, a modern suction cleaner is disclosed in which the main casing, comprising the nozzle I, the fan chamber 2, the air passageway 3 therebetween, and the exhaust outlet 4, is movably mounted upon front and rear supporting wheels 5 and 6. A suitable dust bag 1 is removably secured, by means 8, to the outlet 4, as in the usual suction cleaner construction. The usual handle 9 is pivotally connected to the main casing and provides means by which the cleaner can be propelled over the surface covering undergoing cleaning. A motor, indicated generally by the reference character I 0, is carried by the main casing of the cleaner immediately above the fan chamber 2 and is removably secured thereto by means of a plurality of removable screws, one of which is indicated by the reference character ii. The cleaner thus far described is a common and well-known machine and no invention is claimed in its general construction or arrangement, except as hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 6 inclusive, in particular, that part of the suction cleaner in which the present invention is embodied is shown in detail. The motor I0 is seen to comprise a rigid frame the lower portion l2 of which is cylindrical and seats directly upon the fan chamber 2. The upper portion of the frame comprises spaced upwardly and inwardly extending arms l3, l3 etc. which converge to a central seat portion M in which is mounted a bearing IS. The lower portion i2 of the motor frame encloses the central and lower part of the motor and forms a casing therefor.

Within the portion I2 the stacks of the motor field it are rigidly secured in any suitable manner. Mounted in the central bearing I! with its shaft rotatably seated therein is the armature II with its commutator l8 positioned immediately below the bearing and within that portion of the motor frame defined by the arms l9, l3. Certain of the spaced arms l3, I! carry the motor brushes l9, I9. The diameter of the commutator is such that those arms i9, I3 not carrying brushes I9, [9 can extend inwardly toward the axis of rotation, as indicated at 29 in Figure 5, and this has been done in the case of the arm I! nearest the front of the motor. This arm extends in the form of a shelf having substantially a straight back and a fiat bottom, and which is indicated by the reference character 2i in Fig ure 3. Shelf 2| extends from the one arm I! across the intervening space to an adjacent arm l9 and provides an outwardly facing recess which is suitable as a reflector for a light. At'one end of the shelf or reflector 2| on the arm I3, is mounted, by means of removable screws 22, 22, a lamp base or socket 23, and in this socket is removably positioned a lamp 24 which is made removable in any suitable manner from its socket. The relationship of the reflector 2!, its carrying arm ii, the socket 22, and the light 2|, is such that the entire construction is positioned within the normal periphery of the cylindrical portion l2 of the motor casin as is clearly seen in Figure 3. Current-carrying conductors 25, 25 extend from electrical connections of the motor id to the socket 23, the exact electrical connection of the light circuit to the cleaner motor not being ofthe essence of the invention, it being important only that a switch 26, of a manually operable tim be included in the circuit of the leads 25, 25. The incoming power leads to the motor III are indicated by the reference characters 21, 21..

In order that ,the upper part of the motor, that part above the shoulder at the top edge of the cylindrical portion [2 of the motorframe, may be enclosed and protected, a removable motor cap 29 is provided. Cap 28 is so designed that it seats upon the shoulder of the cylindrical portion 12 and forms, in effect, a continuation thereof which encloses the upper part of the motor frame, etc., and extends closely adjacent the bearing l5 and its seat It. The cap 28 is provided with an opening 29, defined by the rubber furniture guard 30, in its front which seats adjacent the reflector 2| and the light 24 so that light rays may be directed forwardly of the machine and ahead of the nozzle I. The top of the opening 29 is below the top of the light 24 and the position of the opening 29 relative to the light is such that substantially all light rays are directed below the horizontal so that they do not strike the eye of a person standing in front of the machine. At its back the cap is provided with a downwardly opening slot which receives and seats the switch-carrying post formed on portion l2. The cap is removably attached to the motor frame by means of screws 9| II which extend through the cap at the sides of the opening 29. The removal of these screws makes possible the immediate detachment of the cap 29 and the presentation to view of the enclosed motor and illuminating means.

As is shown in Figure 4 the motor II is detachable as a unit from the casing of the machine together with the suction-creating fan'92 'and pulley 39 which are mounted upon the lower end of the motor shaft. If it is desired this complete unit may be provided to replace a unit not provided with the floor-illuminating means.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a motor includingan enclosing casing portion, a stationary field carried by said portion, a frame portion rigidly carried by said casing portion, an armature rotatably supported by said frame portion, a part of said frame portion beyond said field and between said casing portion and the point at which the armature is supported being curved inwardly toward the axis of armature rotation, a light refiector on said frame, a light socket on said frame, a light carried by said socket, current-carrying means connecting said socket with a source of electric current, said reflector, socket and light being positioned within the normal periphery of movably securing said cap relative to said casing portion.

2. In a suction cleaner, a motor including a stationary field, a rotatable armature, a frame,

enclosing said field and supporting said armature at a point spaced from said field, the maximum diameter of the rotating part of said motor being reduced between said field and the point of armature support, a part of said frame being shaped to form an outwardly facing recess adjacent the portion of reduced diameter of the rotating part, a light mounted. at said recass, and a manually detachable motor cap seating on said frame and enclosing a part of said motor, said cap being formed with an opening adjacent said light.

3. In a suction cleaner, a vertical axis motor including a stationary field, a rotating armature, a supporting frame, the maximum diameter of said motor measured from the axis of rotation being determined by the size of said field, said frame supporting said field and said armature. the point of support of the latterrbeing spaced from the upper end of said field, a portion of said frame extended inwardly toward the axis of rotation adjacent the upper end of said field, a light reflector on said frame at said inwardly ex; tended portion, a light mounted at said reflector, current-carrying means connected to said light, and a casing member overlying a portion of said motor and provided with an opening adjacent said light.

4. In a suction cleaner motor, a stationary field, a rotatable armature extended through said field, a bearing supporting said armature at a. point spaced from an end of said field, means rigidly connecting and spacing said field andsaid bearing, a light reflector above said field carried by said means and positioned within the projected.

, nating from circumferentially spaced points on said cylindrical portion and which converge to a central point at one end of said cylindrical portion, a field carried by and within said cylindrical portion, a bearing at the central point of said arms, an armature rotatably mounted in said bearing and extended through said field, one of said arms being curved to extend toward the axis. of rotation between said central point and said cylindrical portion to form an outwardly facing shelf, an electric light carried' by said shelf and positioned "within an imaginary projection of said cylindrical portion, means connecting said light to a source of electric current, and a removable casing portion enclosing said arms and having an opening adjacent said light.

6. In a suction cleaner motor, a stationary field,

a bearing positioned at the end of said field, means rigidly supporting said field and said bearing, an armature including a. commutator rotatably seated in said bearing and extended through said field, said commutator being of smaller diameter than the central part of said armature and being positioned between said field'and said bearing, said supporting means being formed to provide an outwardly facing recess between said bearing and said central part, said recess being positioned within an imaginary projection of said field, a light positioned in said recess and connected to a source of electric current, and a casing member enclosing a part of said motor and removable axially therefrom and provided with an opening adjacent said light.

7. In a suction cleaner'motor, a stationary field forming the central part of said motor, a rotatable armature extended through said field, a bearing supporting said armature at a point spaced from an end of said field, means rigidly spacing said field and said' bearing, a lamp socket between said bearing and said field with 'its major axis in a plane transverse of said armature, a lamp seated in said socket and connected to a source of electric current, said socket and said lamp both positioned within the projected confines of an imaginary cylinder which closely encloses said field, a wall separating said lamp from the central part of said motor, and a casing enclosing said motor and provided with an opening adjacent said light.

8. In a suction cleaner motor, a stationary field,-

a rotatable armature extended through said field,

a bearing supporting said armature at a point spaced from an end of said field, means rigidly spacing said field and said bearing, a wall forming an outwardly facing light-receiving recess closed from the field and armature of said motor, a light positioned in said recess, and a removable casing member enclosing said motor and formed with an opening adjacent said recess to emit light and heat from said light, said casing extending forward of and appreciably below the top of said light to prevent light rays from being directed forwardly and upwardly.

I HARRY B.-WHITE. 

